At-Takwir

When the sun is shrouded in darkness,

إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ

idhā l-shamsu kuwwirat

when the stars are dimmed,

وَإِذَا النُّجُومُ انْكَدَرَتْ

wa-idhā l-nujūmu inkadarat

when the mountains are set in motion,

وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ

wa-idhā l-jibālu suyyirat

when pregnant camels are abandoned,

وَإِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ

wa-idhā l-ʿishāru ʿuṭṭilat

when wild beasts are herded together,

وَإِذَا الْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْ

wa-idhā l-wuḥūshu ḥushirat

when the seas boil over,

وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ

wa-idhā l-biḥāru sujjirat

when souls are sorted into classes,

وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ

wa-idhā l-nufūsu zuwwijat

when the baby girl buried alive is asked

وَإِذَا الْمَوْءُودَةُ سُئِلَتْ

wa-idhā l-mawūdatu su-ilat

for what sin she was killed,

بِأَيِّ ذَنْبٍ قُتِلَتْ

bi-ayyi dhanbin qutilat

when the records of deeds are spread open,

وَإِذَا الصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ

wa-idhā l-ṣuḥufu nushirat

when the sky is stripped away,

وَإِذَا السَّمَاءُ كُشِطَتْ

wa-idhā l-samāu kushiṭat

when Hell is made to blaze

وَإِذَا الْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ

wa-idhā l-jaḥīmu suʿʿirat

and Paradise brought near:

وَإِذَا الْجَنَّةُ أُزْلِفَتْ

wa-idhā l-janatu uz'lifat

then every soul will know what it has brought about.

عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَا أَحْضَرَتْ

ʿalimat nafsun mā aḥḍarat

I swear by the planets

فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالْخُنَّسِ

falā uq'simu bil-khunasi

that recede, move, and hide,

الْجَوَارِ الْكُنَّسِ

al-jawāri l-kunasi

by the night that descends,

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا عَسْعَسَ

wa-al-layli idhā ʿasʿasa

by the dawn that softly breathes:

وَالصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ

wal-ṣub'ḥi idhā tanaffasa

this is the speech of a noble messenger,

إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ

innahu laqawlu rasūlin karīmin

who possesses great strength and is held in honour by the Lord of the Throne––

ذِي قُوَّةٍ عِنْدَ ذِي الْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ

dhī quwwatin ʿinda dhī l-ʿarshi makīnin

he is obeyed there and worthy of trust.

مُطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ

muṭāʿin thamma amīnin

Your companion is not mad:

وَمَا صَاحِبُكُمْ بِمَجْنُونٍ

wamā ṣāḥibukum bimajnūnin

he did see him on the clear horizon.

وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ بِالْأُفُقِ الْمُبِينِ

walaqad raāhu bil-ufuqi l-mubīni

He does not withhold what is revealed to him from beyond.

وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍ

wamā huwa ʿalā l-ghaybi biḍanīnin

This is not the word of an outcast devil.

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَانٍ رَجِيمٍ

wamā huwa biqawli shayṭānin rajīmin

So where are you [people] going?

فَأَيْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ

fa-ayna tadhhabūna

This is a message for all people;

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِلْعَالَمِينَ

in huwa illā dhik'run lil'ʿālamīna

for those who wish to take the straight path.

لِمَنْ شَاءَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَقِيمَ

liman shāa minkum an yastaqīma

But you will only wish to do so by the will of God, the Lord of all people.

وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ

wamā tashāūna illā an yashāa l-lahu rabbu l-ʿālamīna